Force2reckon

  Toni paced slowly around the small private chamber where the group gathered, one of the Warm Wet Caves which Sgoinneil resided in. It was surprisingly cozy, being like a very light sauna, or a warm day just before the rain. Toni liked those days, her brain was always buzzing on those days, just like it was now.

  “So, pns for dealing with spiders?” Temate asked. Toni gnced over at him sitting at the small round stone table in the center of the room. Criss cross applesauce on a sleek, silken cushion for resting at the small table. He took a sip from a small, for him, cup of tea made from some of the pnts growing around the edge of the room while petting Surrender who sat zily in his p.

  “Well that depends on what we have, dealing with normal spiders is pretty easy usually but those…” Toni shivered as she remembered the massive white spider, the size of a pony, staring at them. She couldn’t help but shake the idea of intelligence behind its eyes, not quite sentience or sapience, just… vicious, primal intelligence.

  “The big ones are clever and very venomous. Fighting them directly is risky.” Sgoinneil added from her seat as she stirred her own tea then sipped at it. Toni still couldn’t believe how small she was. What was it Temate had called her? A sloth bear?

  She set the tea down and continued. "And while you can provide fire, I'm not sure it would be enough having seen your example." She nodded towards a small stack of burnt wood at the side of the chamber. The results of some testing done on the speed of Toni's [Eternal Fme], fast but it really needed something with oomph.

  Toni stepped around the table so she could see Sgoinneil. Whatever she was, even sitting on a big cushion, Toni couldn't see her past the tall, big leafed pnt dominating the center of the table. It was growing from a circle of soil and watered from a carefully pced stactite in the ceiling which slowly dripped, and occasionally streamed, down from it.

  Why it was there Toni didn’t know, it would block all but the tallest of creatures from seeing each- ooooh. Obviously most bears wouldn’t have a problem seeing over it. Even if looking down to smaller creatures. Anyway, that wasn’t important, what was Toni thinking about?

  Right, a pn, they needed one. She had some ideas, but she needed some information, and some resources. So Toni focused on Sgoinneil.

  “That barrier, does it only block the spiders?” She asked Sgoinneil.

  Sgoinneil shook her head. “That was what I wanted to do, but barrier magic is difficult to work without a source. So it will block anything with a material presence.”

  “Such as?” Toni asked.

  “Mmm, it’d be easier to say what it didn’t block. Light, heat, sound as you saw, or rather heard, yourself.” Sgoinneil grinned as she answered.

  Toni’s mind was racing. “Air?”

  “Air is physical, so no air will pass through, but the caverns are extensive they won’t run out of air anytime soon.” Sgoinneil replied.

  “An' spiders don’ really breathe normal” Pipuck added from their seat on one of the shelves at the edge of the room. They were examining a pnt and didn’t even bother to look at the group as they said that.

  “What do you mean?” Toni asked.

  “Well i’ depends, i’ does vary from realm to realm, bu’ they seem simir to the mos’ common varian’.” Pipuck ran their finger down the pnt's leaf as they spoke and Toni swore she saw a small glow fill the leaf momentarily. They smiled and turned back toward the group.

  “Specifically, they don’ technically breathe as you or I do, they sor’ of just passively absorb oxygen through these organs which are on the top of their bodies.” They expined, a loud cp came from Temate as he removed a hand from his chin.

  “Book lungs! Now I remember, yeah I read something about that during prep for a quest in a campaign aaaaages ago.” Surrender, sat on Temate’s p, looked up at him grumpily.

  “What that mean?” She said as she grabbed a hand and put it back on her head. Temate absent-mindedly returned to petting her as he continued.

  “They literally can’t not breathe. They can limit it, but they can’t completely hold their breath like we can. Even saying that, it’s not really a conscious thing on their part.” He expined to Surrender.

  “Oh, that help?” Surrender asked, looking to Sgoinneil who shrugged.

  “I don’t-” Sgoinneil began before Toni shouted excitedly.

  “It absolutely does.”

  Her brain was on fire. Toni began pacing rapidly back and forth, hands behind her back as a pn came to mind, they would just need a few things. She turned over to Sgoinneil.

  “If I described a few things would you be able to get them for me?” She asked.

  “Will it help with the spiders?” Sgoinneil asked.

  “If it works well, it’ll kill them all without us lifting a finger, at the very least it should kill most of them, leaving the rest as a quick clean up job.” Toni grinned from ear to ear, ooooh she loved a good pn.

  “Well then, if it’s within Bearbhailes capability, I will find it for you.” Sgoinneil replied, nodding slowly.

  “Indeed, if we can provide, I will help.” Honey spoke from the door as he entered. All bodies turned towards him, Toni had even jumped a bit at the sudden noise.

  “Honey dear! How did your trip to Timbear go!” Sgoinneil spoke up waving one paw in delight at seeing the younger bear.

  “Elder.” Honey bowed to her. “First, apologies for my entry, I heard you were pnning here.”

  “Oh pish posh kid, blood is always welcome, even if you prefer it all–” Sgoinneil shivered “–dry.”

  Toni blinked at that. “You two are family?” She asked.

  “Quite, I am her youngest grandcub as it were, I believe that will transte well.” Honey nodded to Toni as he replied then turned back to his grandmother. That was a revetion for Toni! “As for what I received.”

  He held up a small fibrous bag and pulled out a perfectly round river rock from within. It was carved with what appeared to be cracks all across the surface.

  “Oooooooh, how fascinating, here give ol go go!” Sgoinneil motioned towards Honey who brought the bag to her. He pced the rock in one of her paws and the bag on the table in front of her gently.

  “Three shatter stones. Would be retively easy to just crush them that way, though getting to a position to use them with the barrier may take some work.” Honey expined.

  “Shatter stones?” Temate and Toni asked as one, then they looked at each other and Toni ughed.

  “Jinx, you owe me a soda.” She poked her tongue out at him.

  “Pretty sure I owe you dinner and a movie too, all things considered.” Temate poked back and Toni blushed a little.

  “Sorry Honey.” Temate turned back to Honey who looked amused. “Shatter stones?” Temate asked again.

  “Ahem, do not mind, you two are very interesting to watch.” Honey said, causing Toni to blush even more. She turned to examine some of the pnts on the wall to avoid people noticing as Honey continued.

  “Shatter stones create a rge splintering in earth and stone when thrown with the intent to do so. They are destroyed in the process, but they are quite potent, especially when carved by a Warden.” Toni blinked, her blush vanished and she turned excitedly.

  “Perfect!” She said, louder than she meant. She cpped her hands and began pacing in a very small circle. “With those my pn has an even better chance of being effective. Sgoinneil, the cavern to the spiders main ir is a singur tunnel, correct?”

  Sgoinneil nodded. “That’s correct, each hive path is one long tunnel with occasional access tunnels between. The one they’re in was new when we discovered the spiders and we opted not to connect it to the network. So it remains one long tunnel.”

  “Even better! Okay, I need nitre, you should have some somewhere with how extensive these caves are. A soft, white substance, kind of like salt? Maybe even if you have some bat dung?” Toni turned to Honey and Sgoinneil as she said that. Honey replied first.

  “Yes I believe I know the substance you’re talking about, the Seillean utilize it occasionally in their agriculture.” He stroked his chin for a second before continuing. “We have quite a lot, so it should be no problem.”

  “Perfect!” Toni was excited, then she had a thought. “You wouldn’t happen to have sulfur too would you?” That would open a whole lot of options, her fsh forged bullets were nice, but it would be nice to cast some too. Not for the need but because it was a rexing activity, and would be the first steps to doing more complex mechanical work.

  “I do believe we do, if I understand what you mean by that.” Honey held up a paw to cut Toni off as she began to expin what sulphur was. “As I realize it may not be obvious to you, we are not truly speaking the same nguage. In a manner we are, but we bears have many natural magics we learn in youth. One such for realm dwellers is a means of communication through any method or variation.”

  Toni blinked. “You have a magical universal transtor?!” She thought she understood that right. Honey ughed and nodded at her.

  “Yes, so when you communicate with me, I am experiencing its closest approximation, and the same in reverse. While Sulfur is not something I have a personal understanding of, the transtion gives me your intent and if it is correct then yes, we have lots of that as well.” Honey expined further.

  Toni couldn’t help it, she physically jumped to Honey and hugged the bear who made a noise of surprise. Slowly, he hugged her back cautiously, Honey seemed like someone she could be good friends with honestly.

  “Gunpowder?” Temate asked from behind. She released Honey and turned, nodding rapidly.

  “Bck powder at least, not smokeless like modern stuff. I wouldn’t use it in my gun, it'd destroy it, but I could probably cast a few simple flintlocks with a good forge. I used to hand cast stuff like that all the time with my mom.” She smiled broadly at the memory.

  Her mom had been a bit of a nut when it came to her work. She swore up and down that having hands on experience with the past would allow you a better understanding overall. So when Toni told her that she wanted to also be a weapons engineer, specifically in firearms, well…

  She had started from the beginning, manual casting and mixing, and her mother had been brutally critical. It was worth it though, even before she came here and the information was suddenly relevant. Toni was top of her engineering css, understood each step of the process better and could see the value, and make efficient use, of modern tools.

  She looked back down and realized everyone was staring at her, waiting for her. “Oh, sorry memories of uh… family.” She smiled sadly, feeling a small bit of wetness on her eyes. She wiped it away and smacked her cheeks to clear her head. “Okay, couple more things. Sgoinneil, do you have any toxic pnts? Anything that smokes a lot?”

  “Aye, jus’ in this room I can see a few tha’ will do wha’ you wan’.” Pipuck chimed in, Toni looked over and saw them grinning from ear to ear.

  “You know what I’m pnning?” Toni asked the Spiras.

  “I go’ a goo’ idea, aye.” They replied.

  “Think it’ll work?” She asked them, raising an eyebrow.

  Pipuck nodded, “They’re trapped agains’ a barrier, if we can ge’ behin’ em–” They started, Toni continued the thought.

  “That’s what I’m thinking, we have plenty of wood, or I assume you can get plenty of wood..." she turned to confirm with Sgoinneil and Honey who both nodded. "Good! And getting behind them should be easy with the Daogs help.” She turned to Sgoinneil and Honey.

  “Here’s what we’re gonna do.” She said as she leaned on the table, arms spread. Her face was split in a wide grin, one which wasn't going to fade anytime soon. She loved a good pn.

  The morning before, Temate had thought he couldn’t like Toni anymore, which was of course a stupid thing to think. This morning, he ran a hand through her hair as he woke with her in his arms. Then, considering the nights activities, he opted to take a quick squeeze of her bare chest which caused a giggle from the girl.

  “Finally awake are you?” She whispered, turning in his arms so their warm bodies were facing each other.

  “Hey, you. You’re finally awake.” Temate said, doing his best to imitate the well-known introduction to Skyrim. That made Toni ugh again, then she leaned in and kissed him.

  “Mmm, nerd.” She teased him.

  “Says the girl who spent all night teaching bears how to make gas grenades.” Temate said, patting her head.

  “Um Akshually” Toni said, poking up some non-existent gsses on her face. “Technically it’s toxic smoke, not gas. Different, though simir, mechanisms, and technically–” She held a finger up to his lips, though Temate hadn’t been pnning on interjecting anything.

  “I just taught them how to make a nasty filler and fuel with the nitre and some nasty pnts. I gotta make the shells and other stuff.” She finished by flourishing her hand and using [Fshforge] to create a rough canister.

  “Mmm, shall we go check on the prep?” He asked her, she smiled broadly.

  “Yes, and see how the charcoals going for my 'special project'. Though, I believe there’s something I should be doing in the morning, is there not?” Toni asked, looking at Temate with faux innocence. Temate grinned and reached up to grab her chin.

  “I do believe you have morning worship to attend, yes.” He said, then he reached up and began pushing her head down beneath the bnkets.

  They left their den an hour ter, after some intense morning ‘worship’ and a quick wash. They met in the 'open air' space outside their den with Surrender. She greeted them with a warm meal of some meat and a bit of mashed… something.

  “Is this potato?” Toni asked as she ate quickly, ravenously. That didn't surprise Temate considering how much she'd been doing st night, and not just with him.

  “What potato?” Surrender replied, then continued when Toni pointed at the mash. “Ah, no. Not know potato, is mix of roots, mushrooms and yummy liquid from tree.”

  “Mmmm, so like a syrup mash, interesting. Seems very simir to mashed potatoes but a bit… earthier somehow.” Temate said. “It’s good, thank you Surrender, I didn’t know you could cook.”

  “Heard you say can’t cook, so watch and learn.” Surrender said smiling.

  Temate and Toni blinked at her then Temate reached out and scratched her behind an ear. She made a loud, almost cat like purring noise, if the purring were pitched up slightly.

  “Thank you Surrender, you’re a good girl.” Temate said and saw Toni squirm in her seat next to him. He chuckled and pat her head too. "And so are you Toni." The girl smiled and they continued eating and chatting casually.

  Fifteen minutes ter the three headed into one of the lower hive tunnels. This one was immediately adjacent to what Toni had begun referring to as the ‘spider’ tunnel. At the end of the tunnel they saw two short figures standing together, one was a small, green figure with a tight tunic and shorts. The other-

  “Pip!” Toni shouted a greeting as they saw the Spiras. Pipuck turned from the goblin they were talking to and waved at the group as they walked up.

  “Mornin, you two slept in te eh?” Pipuck grinned at them knowingly. Temate smirked as Toni blushed and coughed.

  “How's it goin here?” Temate asked, redirecting the conversation. They needed level heads here, as much as he enjoyed embarrassing people in general. Pipuck turned to a hole in the wall which opened to a split. Two tunnels extended into the wall, one headed up and one headed down.

  “Should be jus’ abou’ done I think. Sgoinneil came in and starte’ tearin’ everythin’ up ‘erself an hour ago. Old bear can dig I’ll give ‘er that.” Pipuck answered Temate. The image of the small bear tunneling like a cartoon character came to mind and caused Temate to raise an eyebrow.

  “And the fuel for the fire?” Toni asked, eyes focusing into the lower tunnel.

  “Already in and stacke’ as close as we were comfortable puttin’ it. Go’ enough for abou’ twelve hours, soun’ goo’ ss?” Pipuck asked Toni. She nodded and looked over at the goblin.

  "Should be plenty and some, we don't need to burn it all just until the caverns been full for an hour or so." Then Toni turned to the goblin. “Sorry, I’m Toni, what’s your name?” She asked, holding her hand out.

  The goblin gave her a bnk look for almost a minute. Then she, and it was certainly a she Temate noted as he examined her, blinked as if realizing she had just been spoken too. The goblin said something that Temate didn’t understand, Toni clearly didn’t either as her face scrunched up.

  “She says she doesn’ understan’ you. No bear magic there ss, bu’ anyway she ‘as no name.” Pipuck replied for the goblin.

  “What? How can you understand her?” Toni asked.

  “[Power]. Simir to wha’ the bears ‘ave learne’ naturally.” Pipuck replied with a shrug. “Oh, we figure’ ou’ why the spiders were cozyin' aroun’ tha’ hole.” They added quickly.

  “Oh really?” Temate asked, prompting Pipuck to nod.

  “Some of those Nitha bastards poppe’ in while you were 'sleepin’'. Spiders grabbed them and made a meal of them.” Pipuck made a face that seemed to mix both a grimace and a sinister grin.

  “Good.” Toni said, her face growing surprisingly dark. She turned and headed down into the lower tunnel. “Let’s go see if everything's ready and once we're going I'll go grab the charcoal and work on my pet project."

  So Temate, with Surrender on his shoulders, followed Toni and Pipuck into the dark tunnel headed downward, leaving a confused goblin behind.